1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to clothing and, more particularly, to uniforms that have waterproof and windproof jackets or other clothing components of the type used in inclement environments by personnel involved in law enforcement, emergency medicine, fire and safety service, general work service, and the like.
2. The Prior Art
Water resistant and wind resistant clothing, including waterproof and windproof jackets and other clothing, often have incorporated combinations and sequences of different layers, such as a fleece or wool layer for warmth, a micro-porous membrane layer for vapor permeability, and/or a hydrophobic layer for truly effective waterproofing and windproofing. Such jackets often have been adapted only for specific seasonal and/or inclement conditions. Thus, for example, such jackets may not be designed to repel blood or other bodily fluids that may be encountered by emergency medical workers. Single layer waterproof and windproof shells are adapted for use in a variety of seasonal and/or inclement conditions in the sense that the wearer can select a sweater and/or other underlying garment to meet individual needs or preferences. In the past, single layer waterproof and windproof shells have been typified by rubber or plastic coatings or other non-textile strata. It usually is not feasible to sew emblems on articles of clothing so constructed without impairing their waterproof and windproof character. Furthermore, such shells generally do not have the acceptable aesthetic appearance or the hand and feel of conventionally comfortable clothing. It is desired to provide a single layer shell jacket or other outerwear, which is truly waterproof and windproof, which is adapted for vicarious use with individualized under-layers of clothing, which may possess the aesthetic appearance and hand and feel that characterize conventionally comfortable clothing, and which permits the stitching of emblems thereon without impairing waterproof and windproof characteristics.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide, for a human wearer, a well-styled, single layer shell outerwear, particularly a jacket, which is waterproof and windproof, yet which possesses the various characteristics of conventionally comfortable clothing, and which permits the stitching of emblems thereon without impairing waterproof and windproof characteristics. This outerwear comprises body sections, arm sections, a yoke section, a waist section, and a collar section, all of a waterproof, windproof and breathable fabric of a specific construction and composition. The yoke section extends across the wearer""s shoulders from arm to arm, and over the wearer""s shoulders about the collar section. A seam of stitching joins the contiguous edges of each pair of adjacent sections. In a preferred embodiment, the body sections, which extend between the yoke section and the waist section, have left and right front flies, which hide zippered pockets that extend substantially from the shoulder section to the waist section. Stitched to each sleeve and forming a pocket thereon is a patch, which is surrounded by a seam. In the patch and within the seam is a zipper or other closure. This closure, when opened, permits entry into the pocket and sewing of an emblem or the like on the patch without affecting the waterproof and windproof construction of the remainder to the jacket. This closure, when closed, permits easy access to gloves, eye wear, medicines, or other items stored in the pocket. The opposed bands that carry the mating elements of each zipper are fastened in position by seams of stitching. Waterproofing strips of thermoplastic tape seal all of the aforementioned seams of stitching. The arrangement is such that local dealers and users can stitch emblems to the pockets without affecting the waterproof and windproof character of the clothing.
Other objects of the present invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.